Tattoo making

How to Start a Tattoo Shop

Alan Brewer

If you want to jump on to the tattoo bandwagon and cash in on the bountiful opportunities on offer, your first step would be to start a tattoo shop. However, it is easier said than done and you have to go through specific steps before you can hope to make it big in this field. It has to be remembered that tattooing is an intricate art and requires the craftsmanship of an expert to truly cater to the requirements of clients. Additionally, in the hands of untrained amateurs, it can lead to severe health problems and this can drag a tattoo shop owner into unwanted litigation at a later date. Hence it is always advisable to be careful and plug all the loopholes before you venture into this area.

What then are the specifics that you should look into before starting a tattoo shop?

Gain hands on knowledge – While it is true that you will be employing tattoo artists as you expand your business, it always pays to have hands on expertise. You can then be aware of even the smallest nuances of your business and get better control over it. There are many programmes that you can enrol in meant especially for budding tattoo artists. A good course that lasts between 12 to 24 months will help you greatly but it can be very expensive too. Treat this as an investment in your business and go ahead with the training. This experience will be crucial for you when you have expansion plans on the anvil in future.

A good location for your shop – Choose a good location for your shop. Pick on a place that has lots of traffic and pedestrians. A decision to have a tattoo is often taken at the spur of the moment and with a place like this, you are bound to get a lot of walk-in clients. Further, when people can see your business from the road, the impression will be tucked away in their minds for a visit at a later date. But remember, taking a shop on lease has its own legal complexities and you will do well to hire a commercial property lawyer to guide you in this regard.

Invest judiciously in equipment – Unless you have a big stash to ground your business, it’s always wise to start off with things that you need and add equipment as you expand, get more clients and hire more tattoo artists. Initially, you’ll need a tattoo gun, needles, transfers and furniture. This will include some for the lobby and some for the tattoo rooms. The chairs should be functional yet comfortable. The ambience should be relaxing enough to make your clients get over their primary fear of tattooing. So far as consumables like needle and ink is concerned, keep stocks low, maybe at two weeks level to avoid blocking your investment.

Advertising your shop – As in any business, this will be crucial for you. Have a good, attractive and user friendly website and have it SEO optimised to draw in traffic. Go for paid campaigns and opt for extensive publicity on social media platforms. Business cards and flyers too are an essential part of promotion and if your finances permit, book slots on radio and TV.

Go through these steps and starting a tattoo shop should not be too difficult for you.

Tattoo Removal: No longer a Painful Process

Alan Brewer

Tattoos beautify the body and help express your feelings. People get inked for various reasons, but often those reasons are mistaken. Getting a tattoo in memory of your parents is a great idea while getting a tattoo to express your mood or feelings might leave you thinking about its removal after a while. When you think about tattoo removal, the first thing that comes to the mind is, will it be painful? This is the concern for many, but do not worry. There are a lot of tattoo removal techniques which makes the process painless.

The Q-switched ruby laser is the first treatment developed for tattoo removal and is considered the best laser for tattoo removal. The wavelength used by this laser is very effective on colours which are difficult to remove and is measured in nanoseconds. This technique removes the black and blue pigments successfully but is not able to remove red, yellow and green pigments.

Active laser tattoo removal technique is another effective method to remove the tattoos permanently. This Q-switched tattoo removal machine breaks down the pigments in small particles, which is then easily removed by the body’s immune system. However, this technique is not able to remove yellow or light blue colours. It has minimal side effects. This technique is an expensive one but the results are marvellous.

Picosure is the latest addition to painless tattoo removal techniques. It is one of the most advanced laser technology. It differs from the traditional laser tattoo removal techniques by using ultrashort burst which is measured in picoseconds or trillionths of a second, to break the tattoo ink into tiny particles, which are then eliminated by the body. The 532nm wavelength is designed to effectively treat red, orange and yellow ink colours.

Another painless technique to remove tattoos is Picoway which uses dual wavelength lasers to remove the tattoos and is effective on a wide variety of tattoo types and colours. It is also effective on all tattoo designs that might not have responded to previous tattoo removal techniques. The settings can be customised according to the skin tone. As compared to other picoseconds lasers, Picoway can break up the pigment into smaller particles, making it easier for the body to clear the particles and provide more efficient treatment.

Apart from laser techniques, Rejuvi is another painless method to remove tattoos. The method employs, injecting a cream into the skin with the help of micro pigmentation pen. The cream bonds with the ink and reveals it. As the skin heals, it rejects the cream which is pushed up to the surface of the skin, taking the pigment with it. This technique has higher success rate than the laser methods, is less expensive, less painful and there is a minimum risk of scarring.

Dermabrasion also removes the tattoos but it is a very painful process which involves scraping away the skin. Dermabrasion is also used to treat the signs of ageing but is not as effective as microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion machine helps to treat the signs of ageing but it does not affect the tattoos and is less painful.

Tatto Artist

Useful Tips for Budding Tattoo Artists

Alan Brewer

Tattooing is an ancient form of art that includes embedding ink in skin to produce patterns or drawings(on a permanent or temporary basis depending on your will). Tattoo artists are specialists who create and ink tattoos on the desired section of their clients’ body using specific needles and other equipment. There are certain things that you need to consider before thinking of a career in this line.

When handling clients, poise and composure are advisable. Extended sessions of sitting are frequently a part of a tattoo artist’s professional life, as certain designs take a substantial amount of time to complete.

Ambitious tattoo designers ought to have an exceptional artistic flair and creativity. Prior to joining an established artist as an apprentice, you need to build a professional portfolio showcasing your work. Your portfolio must exhibit your versatility and skill to sketch a wide range of subjects. It can comprise of both, your creations and top-quality pictures of designs. Enrolling for art classes from a reputable institution can also enable an enthusiastic tattoo artist to gain knowledge about different art skills, such as scale, dimension and hues, all of which are required to achieve success as a tattoo designer.

Of all the things that you as a tattoo artist need to do to succeed in this field, the most significant might be to get reviews on your work. Although, it may pinch you a bit to learn that you are not up to the mark in some aspects. However, the best part about it is that till you hear about it, you virtually never notice it. Taking constructive criticism in your stride will not only empower you to fix your flaws promptly but also grow as an artist. Besides talking to your clients, there are several online forums where critiques where you can get a fair estimate of how your work is perceived through critiques. Posting your work on such forums can be really beneficial as it helps you to identify the areas that require improvement.

Like any other field, training in this profession is crucial. During the training period, you will work in a store under the expert guidance of a seasoned tattoo artist. Here you will get trained in various aspects of tattooing including designing tattoos, operating the equipment and sterilising it. Besides that, some apprenticeships incorporate lessons on the commercial aspects of tattooing.

Last but not the least, it is advisable for budding tattoo artists to remain patient as success may take its own time to. It is a very rare occurrence that an artist attains success immediately in this line. Nevertheless, if you can establish a sound reputation as a reliable and exceptional artist with a modest and considerate approach then ultimately you will increase your customer base and achieve your career goals as a tattoo artist.